


Deep Water

by usherrthaaa



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Badass Katara (Avatar), F/M, First Kiss, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Love, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 11:06:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15532875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usherrthaaa/pseuds/usherrthaaa
Summary: In which Katara is a force of nature and Zuko is an awkward turtle duck that just wants to live in his pond.Or alternatively; Katara is a stormy ocean and Zuko likes to swim in the rain.A collection of drabbles for the Zutara week prompts that hopefullyyyy will follow a short storyline





	Deep Water

Katara has a way of just…  _ eating _ away at your soul and turning you into a husk of the man you once were. 

Especially when she wants something done.

Zuko knows this because now he wakes up an hour earlier to water the plants in his small personal garden, even though it's probably much more efficient for someone like a  _ waterbender _ to do so with their  _ waterbending skills _ at a decent time of the morning.

But no. 

He has to wet the ferns because Katara said so.

And so he does.

Its 3 in the morning and he's trudging through the neatly manicured garden with two buckets in each hand. He's tired and sore from last night's surprise Council meeting, but Katara thinks he needs a hobby so here he is.

He empties one pail over a single plant and sighs heavily. The sun isn't even up yet and the whole castle is silent, apart from the soft whistle of the breeze and the quiet chirping of the turtle ducks. Zuko tilts his head back to glare at the soft purple sky, angry that he has no power over his life anymore. 

A hobby, he scoffs. Fire Lords don't need hobbies. 

And yet, he picks up the second bucket of water with some care, and attempts to douse the rest of the hundreds of plants sufficiently before sunrise.

* * *

 

She was going to kill him.

It's only been 6 months since she's last visited, and Katara still acts as if the palace has grieved without her. The servants had fawned over the silks she'd brought back and told her how much they missed helping her with her stupid braids, the cook had missed helping her create her strange, late night snack cravings, and then there was Iroh.

Iroh hadn't stopped laughing since she'd walked in and now all Zuko could do was just sit there ignored, at his own tea party nonetheless, as Katara regaled his uncle with stories of her adventures touring with Aang. 

Although to be fair most of the tales were of Appa, which made Zuko feel relatively less glum. 

“And that's where we bought you the new tsungi horn!” she smiles brightly, taking a large sip of her cooled tea. “The villagers insisted it attracts only the most daring of women.”

Uncle looks tearful as he turns to appraise the beautifully carved instrument he'd received from her. “It's one of a kind, Katara. An old man such as I can't accept a gift of such value.” 

Katara snorts at this and rolls her eyes. “Oh come off it, General. Don't think I don't know you'll be playing it to Gran Gran before dinner.”

Zuko blanches and spits out his tea.

“ _ What _ ?”

Iroh seems so pleased that the topic had been brought up that he doesn't even notice Zuko’s messy exclamation. “Only the tsungi horn can capture how ethereal your grandmother’s eyes are in tune.”

Katara laughs; a delicate, bright tone. “You are  _ such _ a poet, Uncle. I've missed this. And your tea.”

She smiles brightly and turns to set her cup down, her braids swaying in chocolate waves.

“And you too, Zuko,” she adds, as an afterthought.

No, he thinks to himself when she turns back to speak with Iroh. 

He was going to kill her.

* * *

 

“No way, Katara,” he says for the final time, fist clenched by his side as he uses his other hand to snatch the paper out of her hand.

It's scribbled over with details of an idea she'd thought up during last night’s dinner, after she'd drained an entire bottle of rice wine- a decision that he would regret for the reat of his life. He'd never have guessed she was a light drinker, considering she kept up with the best of them in just about anything else.

“What's so bad about it?” she exclaims, equally enraged. “You're upset, she's upset- it's perfect!”

“I'm not upset!” he all but screams.

Katara pulls back to cross her arms and shoot him that  _ knowing _ look. “I'd love to believe you Zuko, but sadly I'm not  _ that _ stupid.”

“How sure are you about that?” he mutters angrily, balling up her stupid plans in one fist and igniting it. 

Katara hears him and scoffs. “Hide all you want, Zuko. But moping isn't going to bring her back.”

“What if I don't  _ want _ her back?” he snaps, striding towards his desk where his  _ actual _ work sits, waiting for his return. “I have enough to do as it is. I can't worry over the past.”

“It's not just the past Zuko,” Katara presses, following him further into the room. “It could be your future.”

He sighs, rubbing at his temples. “My future is the nation's future-,”

“And the nation needs a queen!” she cuts in vehemently. “I invited Mai to tomorrow's gala, so get your head out of your butt and do it quickly.”

Zuko sees red.

He's halfway across the room, fire in hand, when he realises he's a leader now and can't just  _ attack _ people. But Katara is already deflecting and daggers of ice pierce his royal attire as she barges through his flames. 

“Why can't you just let me _help_ you?” she shouts, angrily whipping ice at his feet. 

He avoids it neatly and slams a fist of fire towards her shoulder. “Why can't you just mind your own _business_?”

“I'm just trying to help!”

Ice scrapes past his cheek.

“I'm not one of your child friends  _ or _ your oaf brother!” 

Flames lick at the hem of her new fire nation dress.

“I'm telling Sokka you said that!” she gasps, affronted.

“Sokka would agree!” he snaps back.

She growls at his words and her retaliating attack takes him off guard- the water drenching him whole.

“This armour  _ rusts _ , Katara!” he complains in disbelief. “Show some decency-,”

“Decency? DECENCY? Apologise to your girlfriend-,”

“Ex girlfriend-,”

“-and then we'll speak about decency,” the waterbender finishes, punctuating her sentence with another whip.

He ducks this one and sweeps a leg under her, effectively costing her her balance. “You… are meddlesome!”

Katara thumps to the floor in a heap of red silk gown. “You are hopeless!”

Zuko doesn't think that's fair. “I’m not as inept as you'd expect. Mai wanted things from me that I couldn't spare.”

“She just wanted affection,” Katara snaps, rolling away from his oncoming blow and hooking her foot over one calf.

“Affection?” he huffs, back hitting the floor with some impact as she pulls her foot and dislodges his stance. “She wanted  _ attention. _ All of my attention. I have to run a  _ nation  _ Katara- not an ice floe. And even your small tribe understands that responsibility comes first.”

Her ice encases every joint of his body that's in contact with the floor and she crouches over him with that disappointed frown.

“My tribe also values love and family,” she points out. “Zuko, if you don't sire an heir soon your people will lose faith in you- especially considering they're still unsure about your regime.”

“I still fail to see how this is of your concern,” he retorts, undeterred yet still iced to the floor.

Katara rolls her eyes. “I'm your  _ friend _ , Zuko, and I know you've been working yourself to the bone. You need to slow down.”

“I did what you said,” he protests. “I water those dumb plants  _ every morning _ -,”

“Zuko,” she deadpans. “Those plants are  _ dying.  _ I spoke to the groundskeeper and he said he tries his best to save them whenever you're busy.”

He heaves a few panting breaths and averts his eyes quickly. “Yeah… well I tried. It's not my fault they need that much water!” 

Katara blinks once, twice, and smacks her forehead with a groan. 

“You completely missed the point,” she mumbles into her palm. “Taking care of plants is rather similar to being in a relationship. It takes constant care and vigilance and effort to keep it alive. If you ignore it… it dies.”

Zuko kind of gets it now. But it doesn't make the situation any better.

“Tell Mai not to come,” he demands. 

“No,” Katara disagrees, predictably. “You have to face her.”

“She has to move on,” Zuko counters. “I can't keep… I can't keep watering her plants!”

This makes Katara laugh for some reason and the icy restraints fall away into small puddles. 

“Is that code for sex?” she giggles, sitting back on her heels.

Zuko flushes primly at the suggestion and frowns at the ceiling. “Don't ask me! It's  _ your _ metaphor.”

“Okay, okay,” she chuckles. “No need to get all thorny. What, did she not like your style or something?” 

Zuko feels his face deepen in colour and growls. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Katara wiggles her eyebrows. “You know. The lover's dance. The entwined dragons, the-,”

“You sound like Iroh,” Zuko interrupts swiftly, slowly pushing himself up onto his elbows.

His chest armor creaks appallingly, sending Katara into another small fit of laughter.

“I told you it would rust,” he groans.

“You're a bit rusty yourself,” she snickers. “That was weakest opening I've ever seen. You've never led with your left for a reason”

Zuko frowns, aghast. “I'll have you know I still train everyday!”

Katara simply raises her brows.

“Every other day?” he tries.

“Once a month?” she shoots back mockingly. 

“I'm just really busy, okay,” he grumbles, slouching as he sits up fully beside the waterbender. 

“Too busy to see that you're losing out on a good thing,” Katara presses, peering at him slowly.

“It's not going to work,” he tells her gently. “Mai is not coming back.”

Katara looks well and truly miffed. “Zuko! You can't say that. What do we do tomorrow when she turns up?” 

“She's your guest,” he shrugs. “Maybe you can date her just to smooth things over.”

“Are you crazy?” she panics, eyes wild. “She's so scary. And besides she's still not over your idiotic breakup letter. Who breaks up through a letter, Zuko?” 

“I do,” he says as if its obvious.

“I know. It's like you don't even know how love works,” Katara slaps her forehead again, grumbling into her palm.

That's a little harsh.

He rolls his eyes archly and shoots her a  _ look _ . “Of course I know what love is- have you seen Iroh and his teapot? That's unconditional. We've had that teapot since we split ways during the war.”

“That's not love that's an unhealthy obsession,” Katara chuckles. “But you don't love anything Zuko.”

“I love my bed!” he protests. “I love my dual swords. I even love that one turtle duck that’s a little too small- you know the one that gets lost all the time? I know its love because one day it was sleeping out in the sun and I nearly cancelled a meeting to check up on it because I thought it was dead.”

Katara snorts and shakes her head. “Fine. Go make out with your ducks then. If you even know how to.”

Zuko takes great offense at this. “I know how to kiss people!”

This amuses Katara even further. “Yes, Mai really does look like she likes people touching her. ” 

“I've kissed other people,” Zuko grouses. “And who are you to speak? You've only kissed a twelve year old boy.”

“Hngh,” Katara chokes on air, sputtering for a few indignant seconds. “I'll have you know that I have been kissed by boys countless times!”

“And you didn't bite their heads off?” Zuko deadpans. “Miraculous. Truly.”

“Oh shut up. Jet was an asshole but at least he knew how to make a girl flustered. You just get yourself flustered and then run away.”

Zuko flushes. “That was one time and it was because Toph was making lewd faces behind her!”

“That poor Northern Water Tribe girl will never come back to any of your events.”

“We don't need her,” Zuko huffs. 

“You do! You  _ need _ to get married!”

“I don't want to! Married men are restricted men.”

“Excuse me?” Katara narrows her eyes.

“Would you allow your husband to frequently be visited by the woman who saved his life after he nearly  _ died _ to save hers?”

Her mouth drops open a little and the stunned silence almost makes him laugh. Katara is shocked and  _ he _ did that to her. Brilliant. Uncle would be proud.

“H-huh?” she stammers, blue eyes large and focused entirely on him.

“See Katara? I can make girls flustered if I care to,” Zuko says blithely, slowly rising off the floor. 

“I'm not flustered!” she says defensively, shooting to her feet as well.

Zuko totally believes her. “You know what else married men can't do?”

Her eyes narrow at the question and he can't help but chuckle lowly as he dips his head close, his lips capturing hers gently. Her mouth opens in a gasp and Zuko takes the opportunity to cup her face in one hand, his fingers disappearing into her mass of hair as he presses closer. Her smooth skin against his rougher, warmer palm is intoxicating to say the least, and he distinctly reminds himself that she can still kill him lest he push any serious boundaries.

But Katara just squeaks as his fingers thread through her hair and her own smaller hands come up to grasp at his waist. He feels frost creep up the sides of his clothes and his own inner fire leaps in searing exclamation. Her lips move against his tentatively, but he gives her no time to second guess, wrapping his free arm around her waist and pulling her to his chest. Her strangled yelp as she crashes into him finally makes him erupt into laughter and his eyes open to catch her blinking wildly up at him in pure shock.

“I told you I know how to kiss,” Zuko shrugs, deeply aware of how close they stand. “And I also told you I wasn't entirely inept at these things.”

He slowly untagles his arms from around her frame and steps back to a polite distance. 

She looks ridiculously good; hair wild, face red, eyes wide and all dressed in Fire Nation silks. He has to physically turn around to stop himself from staring like a heathen.

“And I hope you're done pestering me about siring heirs, Katara,” he says as he makes his way back to his desk, quietly putting out a small flame that had lingered after their fight. “Because it's really not going to work, and it's about time you trust me on that.”

“Yes Zuko,” she squeaks, eyes still blown wide as she averts them and looks at everything but him. 

“It's Fire Lord to most people but sure,” he shrugs, unable to resist the dig as his own euphoria bubbles in his chest at the sight of her shocked reactions. “I'll make an exception for you.”

“Get over yourself,” Katara grumbles, blushing brightly as she nearly trips on her skirts on her way out.

He watches her run and his heart twists wildly at the sight of her.

Katara just has this way of  _ eating _ her way into your heart and turning you into more of the mess of a man that you already are.

Especially when she doesn't know you’re in love with her. 


End file.
